To All the Judgy McJudgers

I just got home from shopping with the Goombas and I am still steaming mad. Actually, it wasn't even really shopping. It was supposed to be our usual Monday trip to the grocery store, but I ended up walking out with only an opened box of cookies (a failed bribe attempt) and some cold medicine. Peach decided that this morning at Target was the perfect place to throw a tantrum of epic proportions.

It isn't even Peach that I am angry at. It is all the other people there, who looked at me as though I was beating, neglecting or otherwise abusing my daughter. Whoa, whoa, whoa there. Ummm, last time I checked, my littlest Goomba was not the only child to ever throw a temper tantrum a week before Christmas in a store. And she certainly won't be the last.

I probably should have known disaster would strike because Peach just woke up on the wrong side of the crib this morning. But, seeing as how my darling angels go through 6--yes 6--gallons of milk each week, I knew we weren't even going to make it through the day. So, I had to go. And since it is Winter Break, all of the Goombas had to tag along. Things were going swimmingly until Peach realized her brothers were walking around and she was strapped in the cart. Cue screaming, crying and kicking. The lady in the card aisle with me cleared her throat and looked to the ground. You know, the, "Ahem, are you going to do something about that?" throat clearing.

I did my best. I told Peach she couldn't have her cookie if she didn't sit in the cart. I told her she couldn't have her milk if she didn't sit in the cart. I made Luigi sit in the cart with her for a while. But, once she got going, it was like the dam broke and she just couldn't stop.

In a last ditch effort to salvage our shopping experience, I let her out of the cart so she could walk. Did it help? Nope. Then she cried because I wasn't holding her hand the right way, and because her brothers were going too fast for her, and because I wouldn't let her bring home the 10 bags of cough drops she tried to put in the cart. I finally threw her over my shoulder, went to the checkout with our open box of cookies and dragged her screaming little tush out.

Now, while all this was going on, I, of course, had that stressed out feeling that a parent gets when they know their child is misbehaving or causing a scene in public. My face was red, I was sweating, I was talking in a high-pitched squeal.... Ugh. Not pretty.

Then, when Peach threw herself on the floor (literally threw herself down...it was very dramatic) these 2 ladies standing at the end of the aisle actually whispered to each other, pointed, rolled their eyes and one hugged the little girl in the cart with them. You know that saying when you are mad that you "see red?" Yeah. I saw from red all the way to black. I am not a righteous woman, and I will never claim to be the perfect mother, but COME ON!!! How DARE they judge me like that!

If you have been following the blog, you know that I will often say this is a "no judging zone." That is because we all make mistakes. Every one of us tries the best we can to be the best mother we can be. Do we make mistakes? Yes. Do we sometimes make a completely wrong decision? Yes. But, do we love our children with all our hearts and do what we truly think is best at the time? Absolutely yes.

The woman at the check-out was no better. I put Peach on the floor so she could continue her tantrum and so that I could get my wallet out and pay. Check-out girl said, "Oh, looks like it is someone's nap time!" Yeah, lady. Ya think? Then, did you know that you have to show an ID to buy cold medicine? Because I didn't know that. And since I recently misplaced my license, I only have a temporary paper one. To which Check-out girl said, "Oh, no problem, I can TELL you are way over 18, but the computer needs verification." That really helped the already small and lowly feeling ego.

By the time I got my screaming princess home, she was feeling warm. When I asked her if she felt yucky, she said, "Yes. Head hurt. Nosey hurt. Want nap." My poor Peach wasn't feeling well. She is soundly sleeping now while I am still fuming over the fact that the other women at the store felt like they should discern my parenting skills when they really had no idea was going on.

So, to all you Justices of Mommyhood out there, please remember this... "Judge not, lest ye be judged." You never know when it is going to be YOUR child throwing a tantrum, or screaming for a toy, or begging for 10 bags of cough drops in the middle of the store. And when it is your turn to deal with it, I will offer you a sympathetic smile and think back to all of the times I dealt with the same thing. No criticizing or condemning from this Mom.

Cheers!
~Daisy